Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-03

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attractive and cratic shrewdness Of the old
man. Full of chimerical schemes, fond OF
| planning and still fonder of explaining his
| plans. He was a smart fellow, and said
smart things, and the men of the neighbor.
hood liked to listen to John when he was in a
laxative mood He mended articles OF
broken furniture for the old women, Joined
| in their gossip and thus their hearts were
| won.
When the war came Bill was drafted Ar.
| ranging all the little home matters to the
best advantage, he counseled John to keep q
| sharp lookout and to take care of ina and
| the children" while he was away. 1Ma' ha j
done learned to rely on John in a measure,
| for the same qualities that in that other John
had fascinated her in early life were fascinat-
ing still, and SO it came about that the less
deserving son fell heir to the regard and con-
fdence of the mother who had been SO long
loved and labored for by poor, plodding Bill
We both joined the same company, and
Bill was as faithful in service of his country
as he was in his devotion to those dependent
upon him at home
One day he came to me and in q sort of
embarrassed manner communicated the fact
that he wanted me to write him letter.
"You know I hain't got no eddycation
! wo'th nothin'," said he, "an' have to ak this
favor Of you fur know you kin fix it up
right. sometimes b'lieve that if l could "a
went to school mought "a rarnt heap.
II tell you what / want You to do. want
you to fix up a rale nice letter to Polly. Put
in it that when this war is over-better put
1t like the song, reckin-'When this cruel
war is ended mean to come home and
marry her, an'-an'-well, you know how to
fix it. VIII you do it?'
certainly will. You sit down here and
tell me how you want it, and I'll dress it up
for you"
The letter was written and posted, and the
next day we. started on a long march.
At last an answer came. 1t was cautiously
and coquettishly worded, with just enough of
promise in it to set the poor fellows heart
aflutter with anxiety. The opening words Of
sentence transported with ecstasy, while the
closing expression plunged the soul into the
depths Of dependency.
Soon after that we entered little town
away up there among the Virginian hills,
and as we were strolling along together one
day we came across an itinerant photogra-
piers tent. Bill decided to have his picture
TAKEN" and the accommodating artist lent
him coat and wound his meek chokern
about Bills rough neck, and the ambrotype
was soon ready.
In the next letter home Bill inclosed this
picture to Polly, and its receipt was duly &C
knowledged, and the note accompanying it
was written just as cautiously as the first.
but it contained little curl of auburn hair.
that was doubtless kept hidden away between
the leaves of the old family Bible to the day
of his death.
When the war closed we returned home,
only to find the country desolate Poor Bill
1t was sad home coming to him. John had
not managed things well, and the old mother
and the girls were suffering for the necessi-
ties OF life. John had decided away, with his
mothers consent, for the titles were through
her, good portion of the land which Bill
had struggled so hard to retain, and now it
would pass into other hands unless it was re-
deemed.
But, worse than all, Bill soon learned that
Polly, his pretty, piquant little Polly, was
fondcr of the fascinating John than of his
own sober self. Poor boy! 1t was a sad
awakening. The one burst of sunlight that
had enlivened the gloom of his life had paled
and grown dim Just as the sunbears burst
after the dreary forenoon of a rainy day,
only to bury itself in the still murkier depths
of the storm of the afternoon
Sad hearted, he turned away and resumed
the old, life long burden that seemed made
for his shoulders John married Polly. and
they set UP in life on a little property that
Polly's widowed mother had bequeathed her.
There was the sunshine of the summer that
ono had ba oil
he had won.
Years passed away. The girls married
men from distant localities and moved away.
Zeke went wild and it was but another stick
added to the heavy bundle when he got in
trouble far from home, and Bill had to part
with half the money he had earned to pay off
that mortgage to redeem his younger brother
The redemption was hardly worth the price,
for he was slain in wild carousal a year
later.
Mrs Lopez missed John and his lively
manners, and as her life drew nearer to its
close she forgot the weary years of devotion
and self sacrifice, and died with Johns name
on her lips, while Bill, the silent and uncouth,
had neat headstone placed by the grave,
bearing all the expenses himself, and John
composed the epitaph.
Alas! alas, my tale is over true 1 am
sorry cannot put some brighter colors in
the picture. Had the power of the novelist
might even try TO fresco this gloomy cloud
with a lining of silver, or at least tinsel
During the weary years that followed, Bill
redeemed the old property, and made the old
farm one of the finest in the neighborhood
Bill was not popular, however, for a life of
compulsory economy had naturally made him
saving, and people rewarded his generous
deeds by calling him "Stingy" Bill Lopez.
John was quite popular. True, his crops
were poor, and he was in debt, but he said
the whole system of farming was wrong, and
he meant to reform his neighbors. As for
his debts, he made a jest of them, and said
that fellow would not work haf so well il
he were out OF debt as when he was in
A sweet little girl baby was born, and they
called it Amy, although "Unde Bill, as Mrs.
Polly complained, twas so curious in his
ways, and wanted to name her Caroline, after
Johns mother. Catch her name a baby Of
hers after a person of the deceased Mrs.
Loper's temper"
At last there came a bad year. Crops
failed and business failed, and strong men
were shaken and weak ones overthrown.
Down in the wreck went John Lopez. smiling
sarcaStically when the merchants closed him
out, and declaring he was tired of farming
anyhow. Bill Lopez was solid, and back to
the old home the family came to share his
bounty. Polly had never been very well
since little Amy's birth, and Johns failure
was too much for her proud little heart, and
one day in November they added another
mound to the old burial lot, and John Lopez
remarked that '.uisfortunes never come
singly." Leaving the little Amy with Bill,